The Nature of Disturbance
by Yeu
Summary: [Xenosaga] chaos' secrets threaten to be discovered.


**The Nature of Disturbance  
**  
_By_: Yeu  
  
_Comment_: For some reason I had a lot of trouble writing Xenosaga fics, most likely because there are not enough information and I HATE to have to revise and possibly delete fics because they do not agree with the official infos.  
  
sigh Any comments is appreciated, if you don't leave any, I have to take it that everything is okay so I can't improve. The longest one chappie I've written so far. and I hope you like it.  
  
All characters belongs (god I hate that word, sounds like slavery) to Namco and Monolith.

* * *

"Yo, Hammer, look what I've found!" Tony suddenly stood up and waves something around, almost hitting his head on the low cargo room roof.  
  
"You don't have to scream so loud, I can hear perfectly!" the Navigator complained, but curiously prompt him to walk towards the pilot. "What is it?"  
  
"Remember that dude, Alex, that was always nosing around?" Tony smiled mischievously. "I think I just found the fruit of his labor."  
  
"Who is Alex?" Shion asked politely from the side. The two men had almost forgot she and MOMO were there helping them clean out the junk piled room.  
  
"Alex is this guy we had that goes back a while." Hammer replied, "He used to do all the hard labor around here. He is the reason why there are locks everywhere on this ship. Man, you will be surprised how sneaky the guy is even with all that muscle on him."  
  
"You mean he goes through your stuff and goes back to blackmail you when he needs a favor." Tony corrected.  
  
"That too." Hammer agreed.  
  
"Really?" MOMO asked curiously, "Where is he now?"  
  
"No where." Tony replied, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "He got killed by the Gnosis, we think."  
  
"You think?" MOMO pondered, "Why's that?"  
  
"Well, we found a Gnosis inside his room, but not him."

* * *

They docked at the Dock Colony to pick up more supplies, since they were already way in the red, doesn't matter if a few more hundred is added in. Captain Matthews had stormed off the ship the moment it docked, leaving the crew to organize themselves. Alex had complained of being unwell for days and begged to go see the doctor. It was then decided that Hammer go with him while Tony and chaos shop for more supplies. Tony was forbidden to ever shop alone after that incident where he blew more credits on the girls than on the food.  
  
"So how are you liking the life?" Tony asked his companion as they walked down the isles, picking up various parts for the ship that Hammer had ordered. The young boy is the newest member of the Elsa crew, but he fit in quite well, as if he had always been there.  
  
"Oh I'm enjoying it very much!" the platinum-haired youth replied. "It's just that. well, it this the valve that Hammer wanted?"  
  
Tony studied the specs on the package, "I think so, what's the difference between 0.55 and 0.60? I'm sure it's fine."  
  
"You sure?" chaos looked a little doubtful, "Maybe we should ask them if they have 0.60? I don't see it on the shelves."  
  
"Oh, it'll be okay, what's 0.05 gonna make a difference?" The pilot threw the part into their cart, "But seriously, how long has you been with us now?"  
  
The youth thought about it. "A few month, I think, it's hard to keep track of dates when you travel so much between different zones."  
  
"Tell me about it!" Tony laughed, "I once didn't realize my birthday had passed until 3 month later!"  
  
The rest of the trip was uneventful, except for certain times where chaos has to politely refuse Tony's whim for buying some unnecessary items. As they walked by the medicine shop, chaos suddenly spoke up. "Tony, how much more credits do we have?"  
  
"Not that much more, why?"  
  
"Well, since Alex has been complaining of being sick lately," chaos replied with a soft smile. "I think we should get some medication for him while we are at it."  
  
"You certainly are nice to everybody." The pilot observed. "Even a guy as annoying as Alex."  
  
"Well, I don't think he is a bad person."  
  
"He is not a bad person." Tony acknowledged. "Just don't know when to keep his hands out of other people's business. Always looking for something he can blackmail you with, I'm surprised he haven't done the same thing to you already."  
  
"Well, if you don't keep any skeletons, how can he find any bones?" chaos laughed, "I'm going to check for some other medicines, why don't you go get some food? I'll meet up with you when I'm done. And please do not buy anything extra!"  
  
Tony nodded and started to walk away, but suddenly remembered something and turned around. "Hey, chaos remember..."  
  
Although no more than a few seconds could have gone by, the young boy was nowhere to be seen. The pilot shrugged, the place was small and crowded, not to mention noisy, they'll just have to take a detour later.  
  
"I certainly hope that is not a new bug you are catching." Hammer said as he helped his heavy shipmate on to the bed. "The doctor said that he can't figure out what is wrong with you, but is probably a new kind of flu."  
  
Alex didn't answer; the man was half unconscious already. Hammer can't help but feel sorry for the guy, even though the brown-haired man often get on people's nerves, deep down he is just a little kid wanting some attention, and other times, he is a very hard worker. The navigator tucked the large man in, making sure the tossing and turning the guy was putting up will not make him fall off the bed.  
  
"Seriously, where DID you catch that bug?" Hammer pondered. "We were in the middle of nowhere when you came down with it, and you were as healthy as an ox before that."  
  
Alex still said nothing; the man's condition seemed to get progressively worse. When the duo had staggered into the doctor's office earlier, the patient was already burning up with fever.  
  
"Oh well," the Navigator shrugged. "As long as you don't pass me the bug I won't complain. Now, where is that ice. Oh crap, I used it up, wait a second, pal, I'll go get come more from the café."

* * *

"Come on, chaos, it wasn't THAT bad." The smug pilot said desperately as they exit the 'Talk to Me' shop.  
  
"I don't know Tony," the youth replied, juggling his part of the bags. "I think that was one of the worst..."  
  
"TONY!!!!" The sound of death screeched behind them.  
  
The pair froze, and then looked at each other. They know that voice, and from the sound of it, the owner is not very happy. They turned around to see a spiky-hair man with glasses, pretty much drenched from head to toe, glaring daggers at the young pilot.  
  
"Oh, shit." Tony whispered under his breath.  
  
"YOU are so dead." Hammer pointed a finger at the pilot. "You used up the coolant that are used to make the ice didn't you?"  
  
"Huh, you found out." Tony sheepishly scratched his head.  
  
"No shit I found out, when I went to get some ice." Hammer was steaming, "I got splashed with a stream of water that should have been frozen!"  
  
"Calm down." chaos said softly to the angry navigator, and almost immediately the effect took place. "Here, this might make things better." The youth hand over a large bottle. "Besides, you should be happy that water wasn't frozen, otherwise that is going to hurt."  
  
Hammer accepted the large jug of condensed home-used coolant without words and even cracked a little smile at the joke. The three wordlessly handed back to the ship waiting in the hangers, with the sopping wet Navigator leaving a trail of river behind him.  
  
When they got back, the ship was still quite as the Captain has yet to return. The trio proceed to unpack and inject the coolant, but another argument erupted as the 0.60 valve was unpacked. This time, instead of getting involved, chaos decided to stay on the sidelines, he took a sit on one of the nearby panels and watched in amusement as the little show rages on.  
  
Several levels down, the man has finally reawakened. Alex felt weak and very much in pain, as if somebody ripped him apart and reassembled the parts in a different order. His whole body ached like never before, and there were pain everywhere. He thought back to the dreams he had when he was in his feverish state, of himself becoming a monster, and laughed. However, the sound that came out of his throat startled him, it was not his voice. But the man dismisses it as him being sick for too long and not his ability of hearing and speech has yet to return.  
  
The muscled man tried to push himself off the bed sheets, it's moist surface felt uncomfortable against his skin even though he'd probably be the one who soaked it through with all the sweat he was giving off. Somehow his normally obedient appendage refused to work the way he want them to and he fall back onto the bed. That's when he first staring to feel no so himself, which was only seconds before he saw the shape of his many tentacles. Alex blinked several times, thinking he was still dreaming, but there was no mistake as reality is staring at him right in the eye. Terrified, he glances hesitantly over to the mirror hanging on the other side of the wall, and screamed.

* * *

"He really tried to buy an A.G.W.S?" Hammer broke out laughing as they lunged on the cafeteria seats waiting for the Captain.  
  
"The only thing worse would have been for him to buy a A.G.W.S in bright pink." chaos nodded.  
  
The navigator was laughing so hard that he was pounding his fist on the table. Tony stood next to the bar, managing to look embarrassed for his shopping impulses. chaos was sitting in his usual quite manner, smiling politely but a hint of mischief can be detected.  
  
"Oh man, Ton." Hammer said between burst of laughter. "chaos here leaves you for five seconds and you managed to buy a huge ass robot? WHAT were you thinking? You don't even KNOW how to control one."  
  
"Well," chaos admitted. "It was more like fifteen minutes. But I persuaded the owner to give refunds, so it's all good."  
  
"Wait until the Captain hears this." Hammer took a large gulp of his drink. "Tony will never hear the end of it. The Captain has one of the biggest month in the galaxy."  
  
"You wouldn't!" Tony gasped.  
  
"Maybe I won't," Hammer winked. "If I get a few favors."  
  
"Now you are sounding like a certain man I know that is sick to the bone." The pilot grumbled. "I hope you get the same thing he gets, whatever it is."  
  
"Oh, I don't think whatever he's having is transmittable." chaos was playing with the peas in his plate. "Otherwise we'll all be sick already."  
  
"Which reminds me." Hammer said, pushing himself up from the table. "We have a ..."  
  
It was at that moment a loud roar rock through the ship. The three friends all stop in mid-track and glanced at each other.  
  
"What. what was that?" Tony whispered under his breath.  
  
"I ... I ... don't know." Hammer's teeth were cluttering.  
  
"A Gnosis." chaos hissed. "Hammer, go check on Alex. Tony, try to see if you can contact the Captain. I'm going to look around. If you guys run into the Gnosis, RUN!"  
  
Although chaos is the youngest of the crew, everyone knows that his leadership skills far surpassed that of the others. And if it is the Gnosis that comes knocking, there will be no one who can handle the situation better than the youth.  
  
The trio spread out immediately. While Tony pounded on the controls in the cockpit, Hammer raised down to the B levels to check on the well being of their friend. Although almost all the crew stays in the cabins, Alex favored a room in the sub level, probably so he can do his spying in peace. The elevator seemed to take eternity as it descended and Hammer looked nervously around for any sign of aliens. As he stepped out of the elevator, the familiar layout of the Elsa now seems like a labyrinth; everywhere is the possibility to get attacked, everything is a hidden danger.  
  
Hammer ran down the hallway as fast as he could and it wasn't long before he reached the metal door with a plate reading 'All Who Enters Except For Alex Dies." The navigator pounded on the think door loudly.  
  
"Yo, Alex, man, open up!" He continued to pound for several more seconds before he remember that the shipmate had been out when he left.  
  
It took several more seconds of fiddling to get the lock to open since Hammers hands as shaking as he operated the controls. As the door hissed opened, the spiky-haired man ran into the dark room.  
  
"Look, get up, we got to get out." Hammer stopped in mid-sentence. Even though the room was dark and his eyes could barely see anything, his every other sense tells him something was wrong.  
  
The room was in disarray, broken pieces of the furniture scattered on the floor while strange goo covered the walls. Then he saw it, a broken mirror hang on the back wall and was reflecting the light from the hallway, it is positioned so that whoever stands at the door could see the side of the room that was not so convenient to see. And through it's broken pieces, Hammer saw a form that could not be mistaken for anything human standing next to the clasped bed and cabinet.  
  
This time the scream that ring through the Elsa was that of the navigator's, and the spiky haired man was still screaming when chaos and Tony found him.  
  
"Hammer, Hammer!" the silver haired youth called to him. "What's wrong? Tell me!"  
  
"G... G... Gnosis!" Hammer raised a shaking finger. "In there!"  
  
Tony and chaos glanced at each other gravely.  
  
"Tony," chaos said softly. "Help Hammer to the cabins, I've put a force field there so you'll be safe. I'm going to take care of this."  
  
"You sure?" The pilot replied nervously even though deep inside he knew even if they stayed, they would only get in the way, but to him that is still no reason to leave chaos by himself.  
  
"Yes, now go!" the youth was tense as he eyed the dark doorway.  
  
"But what about Alex?" Tony swallowed, "It he ...?"  
  
"I don't know," chaos looked kindly at the pilot. "But please go, I'll do what I can, but I need to make sure you two are safe."  
  
Wordlessly, Tony helped Hammer who is still in shock stand up. With one final look, the duo quickly escaped.

* * *

"Then?" MOMO asked excitedly, "What happened?"  
  
"We don't know." Tony shrugged.  
  
"We left." Hammer added.  
  
"So that's it?" MOMO pouted. "That's the end?"  
  
"Well, you can ask chaos if you want to know the rest of the story." Shion pointed out, resting her hands on the young Relian's shoulders.  
  
"I doubt he'll tell you." Tony replied. "He refused to tell us what happened. When he finally came for us. Everything had been cleaned up, if there were any blood, he had already wipe them clean."  
  
"That was nice of him." Shion commented. "He probably wanted to spare you farther pain."  
  
"Ya, it was." Hammer said silently, "Alex was still a nice guy. just a bit too nosy. Anyway, back to the main subject. Tony, what did you find?"  
  
"Oh!" Tony showed them a few discs, each labeled with a name. "I can tell, this is Alex's handwriting. And you see the name, this disc is probably on me, that one maybe on you, and the last one on the Captain."  
  
"Which means." Hammer mused. "There is probably one on chaos as well!"  
  
The two men glanced at each other mischievously.  
  
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Hammer asked, raising one of his eyebrows.  
  
"You bet!' Tony smirked.  
  
The duo bent down and eagerly flip through the items around their feet.  
  
"So where do you think the last one is? Shion, MOMO, help?" Hammer asked while shuffling though a box of junk metal.  
  
"Hey!" MOMO objected, "I'm not helping you spy on someone else!"  
  
"Oh come on," Tony laughed, "You want to know more about chaos as much as we do!"  
  
"I..." MOMO could deny the fact, yet she is not ready to commit.  
  
"I don't know gentlemen." Shion hugged the little Realian. "I don't think it's right, but don't I see a little bit of the disc behind that box?"  
  
They all look towards the direction, and there was the disc, which had fallen through the crack between the large chest and the wall.  
  
"Shion," Tony grabbed the one of the scientist's connection gear. "I'm gonna borrow it for a second."  
  
"WAIT!" Hammer tried to stop the rash pilot, "Hold..."  
  
It was too late; the laser beam practically vaporized the obstacle, and leaving tiny pieces of remain scattered about.  
  
"Wait for what?" Tony said smugly. "See? We are through."  
  
"And so is the disc." The navigator picked up the half-melted plastic. "That's why I told you to wait! The heat from the explosion might deform the disc!"  
  
"Oh." The cocky pilot said sheepishly. "Oops."  
  
Outside the door, a figure smiled satisfactorily. Then he quickly walked away before those in the room could sense him, with his silver hair trailing behind him.


End file.
